Densifying metal.



F. L; o. WAQSWORTH. DBNSIPYING;MBTAL. APPLICATION FILED APB.. 17, .1912

rammed Jan. 21, 1913.

a SBEB'TSAHEET 1.?

. NVENTOR @MK '-Lofwmw;

Qahzflqsvmy'vs I P. L. 0. WADSWORTH.

DENSIPYING METAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17. 1912.

Panefed Jan. 21, 1913. v

'3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

INVENTOR 1". L. 0. WADSWORTH.

DENSIFYING METAL.

APPLIoAljIoN FILED APR.17, 1912.

1,050,8'9. Patented 11111.21, 1913.

3 SHEETS HBET 3.

FHEZ- Fllll l 11.1K 1. e1

yio

TINTTTTT sTaTns raTniaT onirica.

FRANK L. O. WADSWORTH, OF SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVNIA.

DENSIFYNG METAL.

Loaders.

To all lwiz-om t may concern.: y Be it. known that I, FRANK L. O. lll/'Ans- WORTH, residing at Sewickley, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a 5 citizen of the United States, hive invented or discovered certain new and useful icmprcvements in Densifying Metal, of ivlnch improvements the following is a speciication. y

It is the object of the invention to produce rolled or forged metallic articles, the structure of which will be materially densified in a direction normal to that of the appli-- cation of the forming pressure, a: for ample, a plate or flat strip of .iron or steel having its body structure densiiied in lines parallel with the plane of its surface. Such densilieation will not only render the articlemore resistant to penetration by 'harmful its mechanical strength.

In the accompanying drawings there are illustrated rolling-mills suitable forthe pracc tice of the invention in the productionbf various metallic articles.

Figure l. is an elevation of a stand of rolls for the production of metal platos or strips. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the practice of the invention by the use ot' rolls of the form shown in Fig. l. Fig 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of an inverted piece of metal as it 'comes from the first pass of the stand of rolls of Fig. 1. Fig. l is afragn'ientary sectional elevation of a modified form of roll pass. Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, of a stand of rolls suitable for the practice of the invention in the manufacture of H-bca1ns or -beams, Figs. 6 and 7 illustratig different forms of finishing pass. Figs. 8, 9 and l0 illustrate the product of succes sive steps in .the manufacture of a T-bar. Fig. 1l illustrates diagrammatically the product of the successive steps in the manufacture of a .Wide -bcani. Fig. l2 is a fragmentary elevation of a stand of rolls for the manufacture of anglc-bars, and Fig. 13 is a like' View of the finishing Referring first to Fig. l, there isshown a three-high stand of horizontal rolls, l, Q, 3', which are driven in any suitable or wellknown manner, thc top and bottom rolls l and 3 being provided with collars 4, fitting into grooves 5 in the middle roll 2, in order to inclose the passes .for the metal being rolled. Six passes, a, Z), c, d, e, and j', are

Specification of Letters Eatent. im mee April 17,1912. serial'io. 691,416.

substances, but will also materially increase raten-tea aan. er, wie.

shown, and are all preferably of substantially the saine width.

rlhe operative surfaces of the rolls in the passes a, b, c and d are given a sinuous form transversely of the line of travel of the piece being rolled, by means of the annular collars or protuberances 6 formed upon said surfaces, the protuberances upon the surfaces of the lower and upper rolls being arranged in vertical planes between and alternating with the vertical planes of the protuberances upon the surface of the middie roll, thus giving to each of said passes, and to the piece of metal being rolled therein, a sinuous crcss-sectional form, as shown. The sinuosity of form of the successive passes is inadeless abrupt, that is, the sinu osity of the surface of the upper roll 3 in' pass Z) is less abrupt than that of the lower roll l. in pass a, and so on, so thatI the opposito surfaces of. the piece are gradually formed into plane surfaces, the surface of the lower roll only in pass c being slightly sinueus, while both roll-surfaces in pass f f smooth. If desired, indentations or "i" 7 may be formedin one or more rolling surfaces in one or more of the initial pA sses, in order to enable the rolls to more rmly grip the piece being rolled. Said bites will also have the further desirable. eli :t of forming upon the surface of the piece being rolled, ribs such as indicated at S, Fig. which will act as braces between. the ridges or flutes formed by the rolls. v

ln practice, a blanlf. of sinuous cross-section, and preferably of a width not materially less than that of the passes in the stand of rolls described, is provided, and is heated to the proper rolling heat. 'lhe sinnos-,ity of the blank is preferably somewhat ythe lower pass e, and bach through the upper pass'f, from which it emerges inthe form of a flat plate or strip. v

lt will be apparent that in reducing the degree of sinuosity of the blank in the successive passes, the metal throughout its body will be laterally compressed, and locally condensed by the lateral pressure exerted upon it by the wedge-like coperatin annular protuberances 6 on the surfaces o the rolls, the lines of such local lateral compression mer ing into each other; and the piece being ed at its edges against any lateral spread, the particles composing the entire cross-section of the pie'ce will be compressed laterally closely against each other', thus forming an extremely dense body structure. The entire operation is shown diagrammatically in Fig 2, the original blank being indicated by the full lines and the finished plate y being shown in cross-section, the successive steps of reduction and consequent lateral condensation in the passes a, l), etc., being indicated by the dotted lines lettered to correspond.

It will of course be understood, that if desired the sinuous blank may be initially formed from a flat bloom or slab in the pass a of the stand of rolls shown, and be then gradually flattened and reduced in the succeeding passes, without reheating.

In Fig. 4 the sinuous surfaces of the cooperating rolls are shown as further provided with grooves 9 and ridges 10, which it is believed will somewhat intensify the condensation at 9nd near the surfaces of the piece.

In applying @he invention to the manufacture of beams, a universal mill, such as is shown in Fig. 5, may be employed. There are here shown three passes, between horizontal ,rolls 11, 11, and vertical rolls l2, 12. The three lower horizontal rolls are fastened upon a single shaft 18, mounted in bearingblocks 14, and driven by means of any suitf able connection to the source of power. The upper horizontal rolls are each fastened upon short stub-shafts l5, mounted in bearings 16, and provided with pinions 17, meshing with corresponding pinions (not shown) on a suitably driven shaft 18 behind the rolls. The vertical rolls are fastened to vertical shafts 19, the lower ends of which are stepped in the bearing-blocks 14 above the shaft 13, and the upper ends of which are provided with intel-meshing p inions 20, (which maybe driven or not as desired), so that the piece may be drawn forwardly through pass g, back through pass z', and forwardly again through pass The surfaces of both the horizontal and the vertical rolls are formed in the manner already described, so as to define passes for the web and the flanges of the beam, which shall be of sinuous cross-sectional form, as shown, and with a gradually diminishing degree of sinuosity in the successive passes. The bodily condensing action in both web and flanges is similar to that already described by reference to Fig. l, and after the piece has emerged from pass lc, it is finished in a pass having smooth a universal mill li surfaces, either in two horizontal rolls, as shown in Figp, or in a universal stand, as shown in Fig. 7.

V Figs. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate successive steps in the application of the invention to the manufacture of T-bars, which, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, may be accomplished 'in a universal mill like that shown in Fig. 5, by merely making the lower rolls of proper form to close the passes at the bottom.

In Fig. 11 is shown diagrannnatically the successive ste s in the-manufacture of a wide I-beam, whic maA also be accomplished in that shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. l2 there is illustrated a pair ol? horizontal rolls for the manufacture of angle-bars, the finishing ass being shown separately in Fig. 13. T e operation will bedapparent from what has alread'yeibeen sai Eilorts have previously been made'to provide upon the surface or surfaces of metallic articles a thin densied skin, by first forming upon the surface relatively 'small and closely adjacent angular ridges or projections, while preserving a regular. cross-sectional general form of the piece as a whole,

and then flattening said ridges or proyections by pressure applied normally to the surface. The present invention is substantially diierent, in respect of both method of operation and product. In this case 'the metal piece is given a bodily cross-sectional sinuous Jform, and the degree of sinuosity is gradually reduced, while the ed es of the piece are at the same time hel lateral spread, so that the particles composing theentire body are subjected to localized lateral compression against each other beagainst tween the oplposite cooperating surfaces of the rolls, an said compression is substantially uniform throughout the entire crosssection of the piece, so that the productis of a high and uniform density throughout.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. The methodA ofdensifying metal, which consists in taking a blank of sinuous crosssectional form, and gradually and simultaneously reducing by repeatedly applied pressure the thickness and the degree of sinuosity of said blank, and confining the edges of the blank against lateral spread, whereby the particles throughout its body are compressed against each other in lines normal to the direction of the thicknessreducing pressure.

2. vThe method of densifying metal, which consists in taking a blank of sinuous crosssectional form, and gradually reducing the degree of its sinuosity by ressure repeatedly applied to all parts of oth of its 'sinuous surfaces while confining its edges against lateral spread.

3. The method of densiying metal, which Loeove consists in taking a blank of sinuous crossf sectional form, and gradually and simultaneously reducing its thickness and Hattening it by pressure repeatedly applied to all parts of both of its sinuous surfaces While confining its edges against lateral spread.

4. The method of densifying metal, which consists in taking a blank of sinuous crosssectional form, and gradually attening'it by rolling in a plurality of successive passes 10 of diminishing degrees ,of sinuosity while confining its edges against lateral spread.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK L. 0. VADSWORTH. Witnesses:

Finnois J. ToMAssoN, LOUIS IONATA. 

